Social Welfare and Development Secretary Corazon Juliano-Soliman, Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez, and United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Mission Director Gloria Steele signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the creation of livelihood opportunities for Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries.

Guests from the public and private sectors witnessed the formalization of the partnership for the implementation of the program dubbed “ One Step-Project” held in Makati City.

The One-Step Project

The One-Step Project is a collaboration in terms of moving forward to improving the quality of life of Filipinos. Pantawid Pamilya families will be able to participate in an inclusive tourism economy, as they will be provided with livelihood and employment opportunities. They will be linked to tourism destinations where their products may serve as high-quality food supply and commodities for tourists.

“The Filipino product must be bought not because it is Filipino but because it is good,” expressed Secretary Jimenez.

The USAID extends its support through its project called Advancing Philippine Competitiveness or COMPETE, in which the tourism sector is prioritized as a key competitive industry in the Philippines. For the project, both DSWD and DOT are expected to identify pilot sites for the expansion of socio-economic activities in communities where the tourism industry can be further developed.

The project will also develop a Poverty Reduction Roadmap through Tourism Development for 2013-2016. Research and analysis will be conducted as basis for the selection of pilot communities and other activities for documentation, publication, and dissemination of case studies for replication. Assessment studies will also be conducted on supply chain requirements for products and services by tourism enterprises that will serve as input to the skills training and livelihood programs.

Conscious convergence efforts

The One-Step Project will be the product of pooled resources both from the communities and of the public and private sectors engaged in the endeavor. Other agencies such as the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the Department of Agriculture (DA), the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), and the National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) will also contribute to the project.

There will also be a re-introduction of the inclusive tourism model to the communities in partnership with the regional offices, local government units (LGUs), private sector groups, non-government agencies, and people’s organizations. The agencies will also closely coordinate with the LGUs from the pilot communities for project conceptualization, sustainable implementation, monitoring and impact evaluation.

Emphasis on inclusive growth

Secretary Soliman said that the partnership is an opportunity for the communities to offer their unique cultures, develop them as part of growth corridors in the country, and provide intercultural and economic exchange among people, thereby providing an “active and purposive contribution to inclusive growth.”

Secretary Soliman further said that the poor themselves power their own development. The key is to include everyone in the process.

For his part, Secretary Jimenez added, “the world’s strongest democracies always began with the way the frontiers developed. They allowed the poorest to participate in areas of growth. The propensity to succeed [therefore] exists in the communities themselves.”

Secretary Jimenez stressed that the project will bring about the social justice that the poor rightfully deserve, and reserve them a place at the table of prosperity enjoyed by others. He concluded that the “eradication of poverty begins with the restoration of trust in leadership, and with that trust, hope; with that hope, inspiration; and with that inspiration, the confidence to act.”

Protection and promotion of human rights

USAID Mission Director Steele shared the deepened support for the tourism industry, emphasizing the need to be wary of its negative impacts, particularly with regard to human trafficking.

Joint advocacy programs for the protection of women and children will also be promoted through the Child Wise and Gender Development Programs. It will include the provision of accessible facilities and services to the physically challenged visitors and community members. ###

ENROLLING resettled Metro Manila estero residents to the government’s conditional cash transfer program has been broached by Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto as an option to stop them from returning to their old dangerous dwellings such as waterways.

Social Welfare Secretary Dinky Soliman welcomed Recto’s proposal on Tuesday, saying some informal settlers who will be relocated are already members of the CCT.

“We are ensuring that their information is being transferred to Region 3 (Central Luzon). We are also doing second round assessment to ensure that no one is left behind,” she said in a text message to Sun.Star.

Some 80 of the more than 600 informal settler families (ISFs) living along the San Juan River were transferred on Monday to government-owned housing units in San Jose del Monte City, Bulacan. The relocation is expected to be done in two weeks.

So far, 4,800 housing units located in Trece Martires in Cavite and in San Jose del Monte, Bocaue, Norzagaray and Pandi in Bulacan are now ready for occupancy while an additional 4,200 units will also be completed by December.

To make it fair for the government, Recto said a resettled ISF can only receive the CCT’s monthly stipend worth P1,400 for as long as they stay put in their new homes.

Children of CCT beneficiaries must also regularly attend school and go to government clinics for check up, putting pressure on government to build schools and clinics in or near relocation sites.

The CCT or the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) has a budget of P44.3 billion this year, enough to cover 3.9 million families.

This will grow to P62.6 billion in 2014 to accommodate 4.3 million families, take in an additional 131,000 homeless families and extend its coverage to 10.2 million high school students, the last two costing P2 billion and P12.3 billion, respectively.

Recto, who is also chairman of the sub-committee on finance, may ask officials of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) if they can slash operating cost to give way to the enrolment of more transferred ISFs in CCT.

He said 600 poor families will benefit from the program for every P10 million in savings.

The CCT program will spend P5.4 billion for operation and administrative services next year, broken down as follows: P3.38 billion (salaries and wages); P533 million (trainings); P550 million (bank service fees); P141 million (information materials and publicity); P356 million (monitoring and evaluation); P372 million (administrative expenses) and P80 million (capital outlays).

Recto said he will only push the suggestion if next year’s CCT budget cannot absorb the magnitude of danger zone dwellers in Metro Manila who will be relocated – 20,000 families in the next 12 months out of the estimated total of 104,000. (Virgil Lopez/Sunnex)

DSWD Secretary Dinky Soliman witnesses the awarding of certificate of transfer to an informal settler family from San Juan City who relocated to their new home in San Jose del Monte City, Bulacan. Also in photo from left are: DILG Secretary Mar Roxas, San Juan City Mayor Gia Gomez, San Juan Congressman Ronaldo Zamora and San Juan City Vice-Mayor Francis Zamora.

86 informal settler families (ISFs) residing along the San Juan River in Barangay Salapan, San Juan City voluntarily moved to their brand new homes in Barangay Muzon, San Jose del Monte City, Bulacan on Monday.

Social Welfare Secretary Dinky Soliman, Interior Secretary Manuel “Mar” Roxas II, and Housing Authority General Manager Chito Cruz were among the national government agency heads who welcomed the first informal settler families who relocated from Barangay Salapan, San Juan City to their new homes in San Jose Heights, San Jose del Monte City.

Secretary Soliman said, 57 out of the 86 ISFs are beneficiaries of the DSWD’s Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps). Soliman allayed the fears of these 4Ps relocatees of being delisted from the 4Ps after relocation. Soliman adds, the 4Ps records of the affected ISFs shall be endorsed to the DSWD Regional Office in Region III and the necessary adjustments to the compliance requirements are being made.

Secretary Soliman also assured the ISFs that the DSWD, through the DepEd, is helping facilitate the immediate conveyance of school records to ensure the smooth school transfer of their children from San Juan City to San Jose del Monte City.

The relocation site for the informal settler families.

Secretary Soliman said that national government agencies and local government units are closely working together to guarantee the ISFs’ safe and better conditions in their new home, new community, and new life. ###

Recognizing the important role of Civil Society Organizations in ensuring a transparent and more effective implementation of its programs and services, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)continues to strengthen its partnership with civil society organizations (CSOs).

The DSWD organized a three-day Visayas Cluster Consultation with Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in Cebu City to discuss the status of current engagements of the CSOs in the different programs of the Department. The activity also sought to generate recommendations from the CSOs in the operations of DSWD core poverty programs, including policy-making, implementation, capacity building and monitoring and evaluation mechanisms. It was attended by some 110 participants from Regions VI, VII and VIII.

“We would like to come-up with plans to further strengthen existing levels of partnership with our partner CSOs,” Social Welfare and Development Secretary Corazon Juliano-Soliman said.

Secretary Soliman added that the CSOs and volunteer partners serve as the ‘third eye’ of the DSWD.

At present, there are 421 partner-CSOs nationwide who are helping the DSWD in successfully implementing the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program and the Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP).

In Pantawid Pamilya, CSOs are engaged in facilitating the Family Development Sessions (FDS), Family Development Plus, Modified Conditional Cash Transfer (MCCT), massive validation of Pantawid beneficiaries, trainors training, monitoring and feedbacking.

In SLP, CSOs and private sector partnerships with the DSWD are currently being expanded and institutionalized for job generation. Labor requirements for Public-Private Partnership (PPP) projects will also be included in the list of job opportunities for Pantawid beneficiaries.

In addition, the DSWD is currently working with 131 CSOs in the implementation of SLP. Some of the DSWD-partners include: the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP), Association of Foundations (AF), Chamber of Commerce, League of Corporate Foundations (LCFs) and the Rotary Clubs. ###

Lily’s flowers of varied colors adorn the exhibit area of the DSWD Field Office in one of the agency’s anniversary celebrations.

Experiencing abuse at the hands of someone who vowed to love and cherish you is a nightmare for any woman. Often, the road to recovery and the healing process take a long time, the pain buried deep inside one’s heart.

Lily, 42, from Ormoc City, Leyte, is a battered wife. She endured the physical and emotional abuse of her estranged husband, Mario, for the sake of keeping their family together. However, things became worse when Mario started having an affair with a 23 year-old woman, neglecting his family even more.

Lily narrated that she was a plain housewife, thus, financially dependent on her husband, a skilled worker of a big company. When the company went through retrenchment, Mario received his separation pay amounting to close to two million pesos. “With this amount, our family could have started anew, but my husband spent all his money on his mistress,” she related.

The last straw was when Mario arrived home one day and threw a big kerosene lamp on Lily, who fortunately escaped harm.

Starting anew, singlehandedly

With the help of the Local Social Welfare and Development Office and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office VIII, Lily went through counseling sessions and filed a case against her former husband citing RA 9262 or Anti-Violence Against Women and their Children Act.

Being a solo parent was very hard for Lily, jobless with four children to take care of. Her determination paid off when she was hired as a storekeeper in their locality, receiving a daily wage of P120.00.

Then, she became a member of a livelihood group, with other abused women from their community under the DSWD’s Self – Employment Assistance – Kaunlaran (SEA-K) program. Through the program, Lily and the other members of the group received an interest–free loan of P10, 000.00 each from the DSWD. The program also accesses beneficiaries to microfinance facilities and institutions for vocational and life-changing skills training provided by the DSWD and the local government unit.

“I began to realize my worth as a woman and observant of my personal rights, to be treated with respect and dignity. “Di ako uurong “(I won’t withdraw), “Lily emphasized referring to the legal case she filed against her husband.

Determined to succeed, Lily started retailing rice in the neighborhood where she lives. Lily bought sacks of rice and a weighing scale. She profits more than a hundred pesos for each sack.

Further, Lily also attended the training on flower making, as well as crafting personal and house accessories from recycled paper. Soon, she excelled in her craft. On Saturdays and Sundays, Lily worked on her collection, made of used tetra packs, which she finds in her neighborhood.

To help Lily market her wares, the DSWD invited her group to participate in trade fairs during special events, such as the Department’s anniversary and the National Women’s Month.

With her determination, Lily’s transformation was short and easy. Rather than dwelling on her traumatic past, she chose to let go of the pain and move on to a productive, happier life with her children.

Domestic Violence

Based on the data of the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) and the Philippine National Police (PNP), the number of reported VAW cases increased from 218 in 2004 to 11,531 in 2012. The 2012 report is so far the highest number of reported VAW cases since 1997.

Social Welfare and Development Secretary Corazon Juliano Soliman said that there must be strengthening of awareness to women’s rights as specified in RA 9262 that urged the women to break their silence and should report their cases to authorities.

Among the different regions, Region 6 (Western Visayas) posted the highest reported VAW cases from January to December 2012 with 3,211 reported cases, accounting for 20.1 percent of the total reported VAW cases nationwide. Region 11 (Davao) comes next at 3,102 (19.4%) reported VAW cases followed by Region 7 (Central Visayas) with 2,035 reported VAW cases or 12.7 percent of the total reported VAW cases nationwide, the PNP report cited.

Aside from the livelihood assistance given to victims of domestic violence like Lily, the DSWD also provides center-based and community-based programs and services. These include counseling sessions, temporary shelter, medical and psychological services, self-enhancement, skills development, legal assistance in coordination with the Department of Justice and Commission on Human Rights, referral to other government organizations and non-government organizations (NGOs) and other service providers.

The DSWD continues to work closely with local government units, NGOs and other stakeholders in implementing protective and rehabilitative programs and services for abused women.

“With the provisions of RA 9262 firmly in place, we are hoping that the incidence of domestic violence will decrease in the coming years. The DSWD is also implementing programs to prevent domestic violence such as the Community-Based Rehabilitation Program for Perpetrators of Domestic Violence, partnership with other agencies to prevent domestic violence, Empowerment and Reaffirmation of Paternal Abilities Program (ERPAT), and the Family Development Sessions (FDS) for Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino beneficiaries,” Social Welfare and Development Secretary Corazon Juliano-Soliman stated. ###

TRANSITION Interior Secretary Mar Roxas and Social Welfare Secretary Dinky Soliman inspect a site in Barangay Muzon, Bulacan, where informal settlers from San Juan will be relocated.

Teresita Soreta left her family’s shanty near the San Juan River in Barangay (village) Salapan, San Juan City, before dawn Monday and excitedly went to the village covered court.

Holding a folder, the 54-year-old housewife joined hundreds of her neighbors in submitting documents to personnel of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) who were processing their relocation to a government housing project in Barangay Muzon, San Jose del Monte City, Bulacan province.

Soreta and her family were among the first batch of informal settlers who voluntarily agreed to tear down their dwellings to allow the government to clear the clogged San Juan River, one of the primary waterways in Metro Manila.

“My children and I are very happy because we now have a chance to own a house,” a smiling Soreta told the Inquirer. “After four decades, we will no longer have to fear being washed away by floods during the rainy season.”

Unlike previous demolitions of squatter colonies in the metropolis, the clearing of the San Juan River on Monday pushed through without the usual violence and resistance from affected residents.

Instead of flying rocks and glass bottles thrown by angry residents, smiles and handshakes greeted the police and other government officials who visited the site.

“Why should we fight the government? We understand that our house is located in a danger zone. We’re actually lucky that we were given a safe place to live in,” said Soreta’s neighbor, Leticia Manuel.

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) said a total of 87 families had already moved in to their new homes in San Jose del Monte Heights as of 6 p.m. Monday.

Besides the keys to their new residence, they also received P18,000 in cash assistance from the DSWD.

Soliman said 606 families of informal settlers from Barangay Salapan had agreed to leave the place and transfer to San Jose del Monte.

8 major waterways

The families were the initial batch of the 19,440 families that the government was targeting to move from eight major waterways crisscrossing the capital of 13 million people by yearend.

Rainwater from Sierra Madre normally flows through these waterways before emptying into Manila Bay and Laguna de Bay. Since the waterways are clogged, the rainwater overflows into the streets, leading to flooding.

Some 104,000 families are living in danger zones such as canals, rivers, creeks, railroad tracks and dumps, and 60,000 households have built their homes near waterways. The families living along waterways are to be relocated by the end of President Aquino’s term in 2016.

Aquino has allotted P10 billion a year for the relocation of the estero-dwellers. And this is on top of the P350-billion flood control project that public works officials plan to implement in the metropolis and nearby provinces.

On Aug. 2, the President issued Memorandum Order No. 57 directing Roxas to “immediately spearhead” the transfer of informal-settler families living precariously near estuaries, creeks and rivers in the flood-prone metropolis “to decent housing sites … and pave the way for the clearing of clogged waterways.”

Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said the President issued the memorandum order to ensure that the relocation was coordinated under one lead agency, the DILG, headed by Roxas.

After leading the flag-raising ceremony at San Juan City Hall, Roxas immediately went to the covered court to oversee the preparations for the relocation of the displaced informal settlers.

Social Welfare Secretary Corazon “Dinky” Soliman, Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson, National Housing Authority (NHA) Chief Chito Cruz and Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Francis Tolentino joined him in a short sendoff program for the relocatees.

‘Thank you’

Roxas went around and approached over a dozen residents who were waiting for the release of the documents on their relocation from the DSWD and NHA personnel.

“Good luck and thank you for your cooperation. A better life and community await you there,” Roxas said as he shook hands with the displaced residents.

The interior secretary also thanked San Juan City Mayor Guia Gomez for her support for the national government’s efforts to clear the eight primary waterways in the metropolis, which the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said were critical to its flood-control program.

Roxas said the city government’s assistance in explaining the need to remove squatter colonies from the San Juan River helped the national government expedite the relocation of the informal settlers.

As if to show his gratitude, Roxas drove Gomez’s Lexus sedan and brought her to the covered court.

“Let me drive you there … This would not have happened if not for your leadership,” Roxas told the visibly amused mayor.

Gomez said the informal settlers living along the rivers and creeks were forced to evacuate to higher ground every time floodwaters inundated the city.

“During the rainy season, the residents here are anxious because of the floods. For years, they had been battling that fear of getting drowned and stricken with deadly water-borne diseases,” Gomez said.

“But now they will have a better and safer community for them and their family. That’s why I told them to be thankful to the national government, President Aquino and Secretary Roxas for giving them the opportunity to improve their lives,” she said.

Singson said the DPWH would start tearing down all illegal structures along the San Juan River within the week. He said the agency would also bring equipment for the dredging and widening of the waterway.

The MMDA, for its part, would put up a pumping station in the area to increase the volume of water so the river can drain out the excess to Manila Bay.

“The overall flood-control master plan requires an increase in the carrying capacity of the drainage. We can only do this by clearing the clogged waterways. It’s that simple,” Singson told the Inquirer.

San Juan as model

Cruz said the orderly transfer of the informal settlers from Barangay Salapan would be the “model” for the over 19,000 more families of illegal settlers who were set to be relocated to other government housing projects.

“What happened here in San Juan is an example of good synergy and cooperation between the national and city governments,” Roxas said.

Before noon, Roxas took a 25-kilometer drive to San Jose del Monte Heights and led the formal turnover of the housing units to the beneficiaries.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) clarified today that there are no rotten rice stored in its depot in Panacan, Davao City, contrary to news reports.

The Department added that the sacks of rice stored in the Panacan depot are intended not only for Pablo victims but also for victims of emergencies or other disasters. The rice that were allegedly reported “rotten” are part of the Field Office’s stockpile.

The DSWD explained that its regional offices are required to maintain a 3,000 level of stockpile of family food packs at a given time to be distributed during emergencies or disasters.

“The sacks of rice that were seen by the crew of a TV station stored at the DSWD warehouse in Panacan are part of the stockpile maintained by the DSWD Region XI office,” DSWD Assistant Secretary Camilo Gudmalin said.

Assistant Secretary Gudmalin further explained that the rice have not been distributed because they are part of the DSWD’s continuing assistance to augment LGUs that will be affected by future emergencies or disasters.

Quezon City - In celebration of Women’s Month, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Corazon Juliano-Soliman was awarded yesterday by women-legislators “for her strong commitment to public service and selfless dedication to alleviate the plight of disaster -stricken Filipinos. “

The Secretary (3rd from left, 2nd row) proudly shows her citation as she poses with women-legislators after the short awarding ceremony at the Plenary Hall, House of Representatives.

Acting Speaker Congresswoman Gina De Venecia (4th from left, 2nd row) of the 4th District of Pangasinan led the 79 women-solons’ caucus to support the passage of House Resolution No. 53 conferring the recognition to the DSWD Secretary.

The Resolution states, “ Whereas, for her deep loyalty and devotion to our country and in appreciation of her selfless dedication to public service as a social worker, whose sense of honor and integrity serves as an inspiration to others, Secretary Corazon “Dinky” Soliman deserves recognition from the Filipino people.”

Sec. Soliman thanked the women-legislators for the special citation and vowed that DSWD will continue to improve its service delivery for the vulnerable sectors of society, including disaster victims. ###